How to Make a Gallery Wall
Creating a gallery wall is a perfect way to add a final touch of personality to your home. You can transform your space by pulling from your favorite photos, paintings, pictures, prints, or any artwork that speaks to you and blending them. A gallery wall can elevate any wall in your home, adding depth, flare, and a creative centerpiece.
At Ashley, we have the hottest standout decor to bring an unmatchable vibe to your gallery wall. With everything from contemporary framed wall art to diverse canvas art, we have something for you, no matter your style or budget.
Wondering how to make a gallery wall? Today we’re sharing our favorite tips and tricks for the ultimate gallery wall inspiration.
How to Choose Photos for Your Gallery Wall
Designing a gallery wall may seem overwhelming, but it’s pretty simple when you take it step by step. The first thing to do is gather your wall art and photos. But how do you know what photos to choose? This is all up to you! Of course, we have some recommendations to ensure your vision shines through.
When deciding how to choose photos for a gallery wall, it’s essential to keep a cohesive theme without too much matching. You’ll want your photos to complement each other on a balanced yet equally eclectic level. Theme can be anything from color to season, but sticking with one will help your gallery wall look harmonic.
You may get stuck on how to create a gallery wall with family photos while looking through all your favorites. Choosing a black-and-white aesthetic with family as the main focal point can simplify your choices. Including family photos is a must, but you might also want to use some abstract grayscale prints or other artwork that matches the theme of your family wall.
Gallery Wall Design Inspiration
It’s easy to be pulled in different directions when figuring out how to create a gallery wall. The best part about interior design is that you can take from many areas of inspiration to create your masterpiece.
A gallery wall is an ideal place to do so in your home. It’s nearly impossible to create a blueprint if you want your creativity to be at the forefront of your gallery wall. But we can offer some key tips to follow when looking for inspiration.
Whether it’s bohemian, modern, minimalist, art deco, traditional, or a combination, think about the aesthetic you’re going for. Knowing your aesthetic can help you pick the best wall art, photos, and prints to add character to your home.
Let’s take the bohemian aesthetic, for example. If you’re going for a boho gallery wall, you may lean toward earthy and organic materials, mixing multiple patterns, textures, and cultural pieces. Pictures of plants, flowers, landscapes, and abstract art could be your main focus. You might opt for wooden, golden, and white picture frames to give your wall the perfect amount of contrast.
Or, maybe there’s a space in your hallway that needs a pick-me-up, but you don’t want to take the time and effort to design a gallery wall. That’s where wall art sets can do the job for you. A wall art set is perfect to add the liveliness you need in one simple purchase.
Best Practices for Spacing Your Gallery Wall
So you’ve let your creative mind run wild and decided on amazing pieces to design an eye-catching gallery wall. But remember, properly placing your pieces can make or break your vision. Of course, there’s no set rule on how to hang a gallery wall or how far apart gallery wall frames should be. But it’s vital to plan when it’s time to hang your artwork.
Experimenting with the best spots for pieces before you commit is always wise. You can play around with different arrangements, laying out pieces on the floor and taking pictures to see what looks best. Once you decide on a plan, we suggest always hanging your biggest pieces first. Your larger pieces will serve as anchors. Place them off-center and fill in the gaps with your smaller art until your gallery wall is complete.
Keep in mind the shapes and sizes of your frames, and loosely organize them around your larger pieces. You’ll want every part of your decor to be noticeable, so avoid having similar pieces next to each other. Balancing vertical and horizontal frames while varying your style elements can help you easily create a striking gallery wall that doesn’t look too cluttered.
Should Frames Match on a Gallery Wall?
We’ve all seen gallery wall inspiration with matching frames. But do gallery wall frames have to match? Matching your frames is all up to you. A good rule of thumb is to ensure your frames complement and balance each other out if you use frames that don’t match.
For example, you might not want to include a bold lime green frame on a gallery wall with neutral wooden frames. A more cohesive way to use them is to experiment with different finishes. That could be mixing one kind of wood, metal, and neutral frame that all complement each other.
Having matching frames lets you play with more colors and patterns. Instead of using your frames to create contrast, you can use color schemes, abstract art, and photos to achieve the same effect. Using picture frames of different shapes and sizes further builds contrast.
Get Creative With Your Gallery Wall
The overarching theme with gallery walls is creating something that feels right for your home and aesthetic. Our tips and tricks on how to make a gallery wall are just some starting points for your creative journey. Your style and personality should always shine through when trying out new trends.
So now that you have some guidance on how to make a gallery wall let’s get started! Shop our incredible deals on wall decor and turn that boring living room wall into something you can’t stop looking at.
